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Oualie Fest’s third annual rendition is focused on bringing energy and awareness to both local and international acts at the Nevis Cultural Village according to promoters at the fete’s press conference held earlier this week. Set from November 25th-26th, the event will feature a Calypso show and concert Saturday night and a car show Sunday.
Early bird tickets are on sale now for $65 EC and can be found across the federation at A-1 Office Technology, Carib Post and Pas Bar on Nevis, and at both Harpers locations in St. Kitts. Tickets will also be available at the door for $90 EC. Oualie fest is also offering a VIP experience which features reserved parking, elevated covered and secured concert seats, hors d’oeuvres and unlimited top shelf drinks, for an additional fee.
This year’s show has been dubbed the ‘energy edition’ and festival organisers are hoping to channel Nevisian and Kittian energy into creating an atmosphere that puts local acts on the map, explained committee members Timothy Caines and Styley Prime.
“The tendencies in shows is to put the Nevisian artists on first while the place is filling up,” Caines said. “That is not going to be the case for Oualie Fest this year, we want our own to get as much promotion as possible.”
The two met with reporters and performers to sign the contracts of several Nevisian performers and announce the details of this years proceedings. They also announced a pre-festival beach affair at Pinney’s Beach on Sunday, Nov. 12th and an energy corner spectacular on the Friday, Nov. 17th, which will include giveaways and incentives in hopes of ramping up public interest in the festival.
This year, Oualie Fest will hold the Calypso Spectacular and concert on the same night, citing that it is not affordable to extend the festival by an extra night for the Calypso show. The Calypsonians will perform from 9 pm -11:30, and the concert will begin immediately after.
There are 11 total acts ready to take the stage, with 2 international bands, 3 Kittian groups and 6 performances from Nevisian artists.
“This year we have a lineup of different genres and a variety of music,” Prime said. “We tried to push as much local talent as possible. The concert and the festival is to promote Nevisian artists so our program is heavily geared towards Nevisian artists.”
Emphasizing that point, the organisers took time from the press conference to sign on DVX Reloaded, the Casanova band and other Nevisian groups to show their Nevisian support.
“The Nevisian bands have been a little too calm for the seasons, after Culturama we did our things, but since then it’s not where the band culture in Nevis should be,” DVX said. “My vision for Nevisian Soca and Calypso music is that at any given time there’s something new you could look for, so I appreciate Oualie Fest and trust me, it’s going to be a crazy, crazy performance.”
Now that the first artists have been signed, the organisers are eager to get the festival underway.
“We are looking forward to an amazing show and we know that these artists will put on something that that people will talk about and remember for a long time,” Caines said.